Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find Bets?
Begin with the Situation, not with a list on the character sheet.
Ask yourself:
- what in my culture, experience, or resources helps me here?
- which relationship, god, spirit, or ally can genuinely matter now?
- which Rune of my Protagonist is relevant to what they are trying?
- what in the place or circumstances can tip the balance?
Not everything established in the fiction automatically becomes a Bet. An element becomes a Bet when the Focus explains why it matters in this resolution.
Do I need to know Glorantha well before playing?
No. What matters most is knowing enough about the Situation to make meaningful decisions.
When a place, people, cult, or myth becomes important, take the time to learn more. Knowledge of the world enriches play because it reveals new elements that might matter; it is not material you must memorize before the first game.
Can I make my Protagonist invincible by piling up traits?
No. Traits are not permanent bonuses.
Adding an element to a Protagonist's Portrait mainly gives the fiction more material. It may help in some Situations, change nothing in others, and sometimes create new problems.
The Focus decides what matters here and now.
Who decides whether a Bet is valid?
The table begins by asking why the proposal matters in the Situation.
If disagreement remains, the responsibility belongs to the person or people responsible for the coherence of Time in that Situation. How this responsibility is distributed depends on how the game is organized.
The goal is to preserve clear and coherent fiction, not to win a negotiation over dice.
Can Time decide what my Protagonist does?
No.
Time keeps what surrounds the Protagonists alive and responds to their actions. A Protagonist's intentions and choices belong to whoever carries that Protagonist.
Can my Protagonist die because of one bad roll?
Death is at stake only when it genuinely belongs to the consequences understood before the roll.
If a resolution can be fatal, the player should know and be able to keep the intention, change approach, or reduce the goal.
Do I roll for every difficult action?
No.
A resolution serves an important uncertainty that the table wants to play. An action may be difficult and still require no roll if its outcome does not deserve to be weighed at that moment.
Conversely, one roll can cover an entire scene, battle, or sequence of steps.
See Choosing the Zoom.
Can we play without a game master?
Yes.
Glorantha Perspectives distinguishes Protagonists from Time rather than assuming a single distribution of roles. One person may mainly take responsibility for Time, or the function may rotate, be shared, or be supported by procedures and tools.
See Organizing Play.